Imaging tomography apparatus with mutiple operating modes

ABSTRACT

An imaging tomography apparatus, in particular an x-ray computed tomography apparatus, has two acquisition systems capable of rotating around a rotation center on a common rotation axis with constant azimuthal separation from one another. Each of the acquisition systems has a radiator with a focus as well as a detector with a number of detector elements. The detectors are mounted in the respective acquisition system such that, after a common rotation movement of both acquisition systems (which transfers the imaginary connecting line “first focus—rotation center” to the previous position of the imaginary connecting line “second focus—rotation center”), at least some of the detector elements of the first detector come to lie displaced by a displacement angle with regard to the previous positions of the detector elements of the second detector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns an imaging tomography apparatus, in particular an x-ray computed tomography apparatus, of the type having at least a first acquisition system (with a first radiator and a first detector for detection of the radiation originating from the first radiator) and a second acquisition system (comprising a second radiator and a second detector for detection of the radiation originating from the second radiator), wherein both acquisition systems are capable of rotating around a common rotation axis.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Tomography apparatuses of the above type are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,991,190; 4,384,359; 4,196,352; 5,966,422 and 6,421,412. An advantage that such tomography apparatuses with multiple acquisition systems exhibit in comparison to a device with one acquisition system is an increased data acquisition rate, which leads to a shorter exposure time, and/or to an increased temporal resolution. A shortened exposure time is of advantage because with it, movement artifacts in the reconstructed image (for example, caused by voluntary and involuntary movements of the patient and/or by arrhythmias in the heart movement) are minimized. This is particularly of importance in the event a larger volume is scanned, for example by means of a spiral scan, such as of the heart. An increased temporal resolution is necessary for representation of, for example, movement cycles, because then the data used for reconstruction of an image must be acquired in the shortest possible time. Conventionally, this has been attempted to be achieved by increasing the rotation speed of the acquisition system, but the acceleration forces, and the mechanical problems resulting therefrom, increase significantly with additional rotation speed. Such problems can be solved aforementioned tomography devices, which have multiple acquisition systems (radiator-detector combinations) arranged separated from one another in the azimuthal direction, meaning “angularly offset” opposite one another. The aforementioned tomography devices are particularly advantageous for the case when such spiral reconstruction algorithms are used for reconstruction of images from the raw data generated by the detectors, which only require projection data from an angular interval of 180°, because then given the presence of, for example, two acquisition systems, the exposure time is reduced to a quarter of the measurement time required for a full rotation.

In published German patent applications DE 199 53 613 A1 and DE 198 32 972, an arrangement known as a “springing focus” is described with which, with changing the detector resolution, an increase of the data quantity available for image calculation can be achieved, and thus a finer scanning and increased image quality as well. For this, deflection means for the electron beam are necessary, which vary the position of the focal spot or focus in the x-ray tube.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to improve a tomography device of the type described above so that a particularly fine scanning is possible.

This object is achieved according to the invention in a tomography device of the type initially described, but wherein the detectors are mounted on the respective acquisition system such that, after a common rotation movement of both acquisition systems (which transfers the imaginary connecting line “first focus—rotation center”) to the previous position of the imaginary connecting line “second focus—rotation center”, at least some of the detector elements of the first detector come to be displaced by a displacement angle with regard to the previous positions of the detector elements of the second detector.

The invention thus concerns in particular a tomography device with two or more acquisition system that are arranged to acquire projection data from a number of different projection directions, and in particular that are fashioned to generate slice exposures and/or for 3D-scanning of the examination subject. The invention is based on the recognition that, with a tomography device with a plurality of acquisition systems, the functionality of a “springing focus” can be achieved without the expensive necessity of a deflection means in the x-ray tube, in that the detectors of the acquisition systems are installed in a particular manner relative to one another. A further basis of the invention is that, given a CT device rotating very quickly, problems could ensue in the realization of a conventional “springing focus”, and therefore the implementation of the functionality of a “springing focus” in a multi-tube system is of particular advantage.

With the tomography device according to the invention, given consistent detector resolution (meaning an unchanging number and unchanging pitch of the detector elements aligned in the azimuthal direction), a finer scanning of the examination subject of the patient is enabled that corresponds in effect to the aforementioned springing focus. Scanning errors (artifacts) are also minimized. This advantageous effect of the invention, particularly with regard to edge rays of the emitted x-ray beam fan, can even exceed the effect of a conventional springing focus, such that in the most advantageous case, even a low-pass filtering for artifact suppression can be foregone in the image reconstruction.

To measure the constant angular separation between the two acquisition systems, the respective imaginary connecting lines between each focus and the common rotation center on the rotation axis are drawn upon. The angular separation with regard to the rotation center is measured between these connecting lines.

The rotation angle of the common rotation movement, which is necessary to transfer one acquisition system to the previous position of the other acquisition system, can be identical with the constant angular separation between the two acquisition systems. The common rotation movement need not necessarily be a movement with beginning and end—rather, it can be embedded in a continuously rotating scanning motion. It is also not imperative that projection data be acquired at the positions before and/or after the aforementioned common rotation movement.

The detectors of each acquisition system has detector elements aligned in the azimuthal direction. In a preferred embodiment, the detector elements of the first detector exhibit the same element pitch from one another as do the detector elements of the second detector from one another. The same element separation, measured as angle or arc length, is realized at least in sub-regions.

In another preferred embodiment, the displacement angle is equal to a fraction 1/n of the element separation, whereby n is the number of the acquisition systems. In particular for the case n=2, it is advantageous when the displacement angle is equal to half the element separation.

Both detectors are installed “quasi-displaced” in the tomography device according to the invention, such that a displacement of the position of the first acquisition system also results when it is located substantially in the previous position of the second acquisition system after the common rotation movement. The first acquisition system then can acquire projection data in the intermediate positions of the previous scan by the second acquisition system.

The displacement does not concern the acquisition systems as such, but rather the association of the detectors with the acquisition systems whose angular position is respectively defined by the line “focus—rotation center” (substantially identical to the middle ray).

According to a further preferred embodiment, a difference of two angular positions of two detector elements (particularly at least for both of the respective middle rays of the next elements) is a whole number, odd multiple of half the element separation, whereby

-   -   one of the angular positions describes the position of a         detector element of the first detector, measured around the         first focus between the imaginary connecting line “first         focus—rotation center” and an imaginary connecting line “first         focus—detector element”, and     -   an additional angular position describes the position of a         detector element of the second detector, measured around the         second focus between the imaginary connecting line “second         focus—rotation center” and an imaginary connecting line “second         focus—detector element”.

The position of each detector element can be measured at an arbitrary location in the detector element, but the same location must be used for all detector elements, for example, the element center.

The aforementioned measurement rule with regard to the difference of two angular positions also is applicable if the element separation is not constant within a detector row. In this case, the measurement rule must be executed at least for similar elements relative to one another.

The invention is also of advantage in a tomography device with two or more acquisition systems with fan angles or measurement fields of different sizes from one another. In particular the maximum measurement fields scanned by the two acquisition systems given rotation around the rotation axis can be of different sizes and/or the measurement fields of both acquisition systems can be set to different sizes. This can mean that the maximum fan angles of both acquisition systems are of different sizes and/or that the fan angles of both acquisition systems can be set to different sizes. The lengths of both detectors—measured in the azimuthal direction —also can be of different sizes. In the medical examination of a patient, it is of particular advantage fir the first measurement field to be designed to scan the entire body cross-section of the patient and for the second measurement field to be designed to scan a portion of the body cross-section, in particular the area of the heart.

Preferably, both acquisition systems in the tomography device according to the invention are arranged in a common plane. This produces the advantage that artifacts as a result of an unintentional movement of the patient (breathing, etc.) are minimized.

Embodiments are also possible, however, in which both acquisition systems are separated from one another or can be positioned separated from one another in the direction of the rotation axis. These embodiments are of particular advantage in the event that the exposure of a large volume should ensue in the shortest possible time without cooling pauses of the radiator. The axial separation of the two acquisition systems is thereby equal to that of the subject region scanned by an acquisition system in the axial direction, meaning in the direction parallel to the rotation axis, or to a whole-number multiple thereof. This means that in the event that both acquisition systems are displaced from one another by a separation d in the axial direction, a region 2 d is scanned in a scan region or traverse path d of the patient positioning device.

In a preferred embodiment, the tomography device according to the invention has a control and/or imaging computer that can also be present to control the radiator, and that undertakes the reconstruction of an image using projection data or raw data of both acquisition systems, taking the displacement angle between the detector elements into consideration.

The reconstruction of the image preferably is implemented with finer resolution in comparison to an implementation without the displacement angle.

According to a preferred embodiment, the tomography device has a control device or control unit that allows a selection to be made by operating personnel, for example by a doctor or by a medical-technical assistant, between at least a first mode with normal resolution and a second mode making use of the displacement angle and with higher resolution.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a first exemplary embodiment of a tomography device according to the invention in a perspective overall view.

FIG. 2 shows two acquisition systems of the tomography device of FIG. 1 in cross-section.

FIG. 3 shows with other details of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows two acquisition systems of a tomography device according to a second exemplary embodiment, in cross-section.

FIG. 5 shows two acquisition systems of a tomography device according to the invention according to a third exemplary embodiment, in cross-section, in particular to explain angular definitions.

FIG. 6 shows two acquisition systems of a tomography device according to the invention according to a third exemplary embodiment, in cross-section, in particular to explain further angular definitions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Three exemplary embodiments of a tomography device according to the invention are subsequently explained in detail using FIGS. 1 through 4. Thereby shown are:

FIG. 1 shows a tomography apparatus 1 (here an x-ray computed tomography apparatus) with an associated positioning device 3 for exposure and positioning of a patient 5. The patient 5 with the desired examination region or scan region can be inserted into an opening 7 (diameter 70 cm) in the housing 8 of the tomography device 3 by means of a movable table top of the positioning device 3. Moreover, in the case of a spiral scan, a continuous axial feed is effected with the positioning device 3.

Inside the housing 8, a gantry (not visible in FIG. 1) can be rotated with high speed around a rotation axis 9 running through the patient 5.

An operating unit 10 is present for operation of the tomography device 1 by a doctor or the like.

To achieve a short scan time and/or a high temporal resolution, a number of acquisition systems, for example two acquisition systems (n=2) are mounted on the gantry. A first acquisition system has an x-ray tube as a first radiator 11 and an eight-line x-ray detector array as a first detector 13. A second acquisition system has a separate x-ray tube as a second radiator 15 and a separate eight-line x-ray detector array as a second detector 17. The arrangement of the two radiators 11, 15 and of the two detectors 13, 17 on the gantry is fixed during the operation of the tomography device 1, such that their relative separations are also constant during the operation.

The x-ray detector arrays are fashioned on a base of an electronically readable scintillator ceramic, known as a UFC ceramic. Surface detectors, for example with 256 or more lines, can also be used.

The projection data of both continuously scanning acquisition systems are processed into a CT image in a control and/or imaging computer 18, using an image reconstruction algorithm.

The projection data of both acquisition systems are initially combined (“mixed”) into a common projection data set or raw data set.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show both acquisition systems of FIG. 1 in detail. It is in particular shown how both radiators 11, 15 (focus F1 and focus F2) rotate in the direction of the arrow on a common rotation path 19 around a rotation center D on the rotation axis 9 while raw data are generated from different projection angles for a subsequently image reconstruction. In the cross-section view of FIG. 2, one line of the detector 13 one line of the detector 17 are shown with, respectively, detector elements 13 a, 13 b, 13 c and 17 a, 17 b, 17 c . . . . The detector pitch of both detectors 13, 17 is identical. The projection angular separation can, but does not have to be, identical to the detector pitch.

The lengths L1 and L2 of the respective detectors 13 and 17 are curved around the respective focus of the associated radiator 11 or 15 and are different, such that, in the representation of FIG. 2, detectable x-ray beams of different sizes exist for the two acquisition systems. For image generation, the first acquisition system can use an x-ray beam with edge rays 21, a middle ray 23, and with a maximum fan angle 2β_(1max) of approximately 55°. Correspondingly, the second acquisition system can use an x-ray beam with edge rays 25, a middle ray 27, and with a maximum fan angle 2β_(2max) of approximately 25°. Due to the rotary scanning by both measurement systems, a maximum measurement field 31 of approximately 50 cm diameter arises for the first measurement system, and a comparably smaller maximum measurement field 35 of only 25 cm diameter arises for the second acquisition system.

The first measurement field 31 is designed to scan the entire body cross-section of the patient 5, and the second measurement field 35 is designed to scan only the heart region of the patient.

Operating personnel can select, among other things, the following operating modes through the operating unit 10:

In a body-operating mode of the tomography device 1, raw data are acquired by the first acquisition system for the subsequent image reconstruction from the first measurement field 31. The second acquisition system, and in particular the second radiator 15, can be inactive in this mode. The entire body cross-section of the patient 5 is then scanned with conventional temporal resolution.

In a heart-operating mode of the tomography device 1 according to the invention, raw data are acquired by both acquisition systems. In this mode, the second measurement field 35 is scanned with increased temporal resolution and/or with increased data rate in comparison to a device with only one acquisition system. The first detector 13 is thereby used only with a length L1′ (shortened in comparison to its overall length L1) that is substantially identical to the length L2 of the smaller detector 17. The x-ray radiation incident in the annular region between the two borders of the measurement fields 31, 35 thus possibly passes the patient 5 unused. As needed, it may be, of advantage to adjust the current fan angle 2β₁ of the first acquisition system in the heart operating mode to a value smaller than the maximum fan angle 2β_(1max) of the first acquisition system, in particular identical to the maximum fan angle 2β_(2max) of the second acquisition system. Corresponding edge rays are indicated in FIG. 2.

To gate the x-ray beam emanating from the radiators 11 or 15 in the direction of the rotation axis, thus also to select individual or multiple detector lines, a first gating device 41 is associated with the first acquisition system, and a second gating device 45 is associated with the second acquisition system, proximate the respective radiators 11 and 15. Each gating device 41, 45 can have, for example, two diaphragm plates that can be moved in a direction parallel to the rotation axis 9.

To aid the adjustment of fan angles of different sizes, in particular to reduce the fan angle of the first acquisition system to a value 2β_(1,) a radiation minimization device 51 (schematically indicated in FIG. 3) is present to minimize the radiation in the ring region between the two measurement field boundaries. The device 51 is, for example, a further gating device, present in addition to the first gating device 41, with schematically indicated diaphragm plates 52, 53 that can be moved in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 9 (meaning in the slice plane) (double arrow 54). Alternatively or additionally, the device 51 can be fashioned as a filter device 55, or can include such a device. Two different filters 56, 57, one for the body operation mode and the other for the heart operation mode, are schematically indicated.

As can be seen from FIG. 2 given from the curve of the lines 23 and 27 respectively through the detectors 13 and 17, the two detectors 13, 17 are not only of different sizes, but also are installed differently with regard to their respective acquisition system. This is subsequently explained in detail using FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the equidistant detector pitch or the element separation Δβ is indicated.

The position of each of the acquisition systems is defined in the following by an imaginary connecting line “first focus F1—rotation center D” and “second focus F2—rotation center D”. In the example, these lines are identical to the middle rays 23 and 27 (FIG. 2).

The—constant at least during the exposure—azimuthal angular separation a of the acquisition systems is, given a number n of acquisition systems, preferably substantially 360°/(2n), meaning in the example of the Figures (n=2), substantially 90°, such that after 1/(2n) of a complete rotation circuit (360°) an angular region of 180° is cumulatively scanned, which is sufficient for most of the subsequent image reconstruction algorithms. In the context of the invention, preferably a spiral reconstruction algorithm is used, that functions with projection data of a half-rotation.

The detector 13 of the first acquisition system is installed, relative to the connecting line “first focus F1—rotation center D”, displaced in the azimuthal direction by a whole-number, odd multiple of the half-element separation Δβ or of the half detector pitch in comparison to the second acquisition system. The most advantageous case is a displacement by Δβ/2.

With regard to the individual detector elements, an analogous installation rule can be established. For this,

-   -   γ₁ the angular position of an arbitrary detector element 13 a,         13 b, 13 c, . . . of the first detector 13, measured at the         first focus between the imaginary connecting line “first focus         F1—rotation center D” and an imaginary connecting line “first         focus F1—detector element 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, . . . ”, and     -   γ₂ the angular position of an arbitrary detector element 17 a,         17 b, 17 c, . . . of the first detector 17, measured at the         second focus between the imaginary connecting line “second focus         F2—rotation center D” and an imaginary connecting line “second         focus F2—detector element 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, . . . ”.

The respective positions of the detector elements 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, . . . , 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, . . . are respectively measured from the element edge side in FIG. 3.

Both detectors 13, 17 are installed such that the difference γ₁−γ₂ of the two angular positions γ₁, γ₂ is a whole-number, odd multiple 2N+1 of the half element separation Δβ: $\begin{matrix} {{{{\gamma_{1} - \gamma_{2}} = {\left( {{2N} + 1} \right) \cdot \frac{\Delta\beta}{2}}},{{{with}\quad N} = 0},1,2,{3\quad\ldots}}\quad} & \left\lbrack {{Equation}\quad 1} \right\rbrack \end{matrix}$

This installation rule results in, after a rotation of the gantry by the angular separation α, the elements 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, . . . of the first detector 13 coming to lie displaced to the position of the elements 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, . . . of the second detector 17 before the rotation.

This is shown schematically in FIG. 4 for a second exemplary embodiment with (for clarity) only 8 elements per detector row or detector line. In this exemplary embodiment, the detectors 13 and 17, and thus also the maximum possible fan angles and measurement fields, are of equal sizes, in contrast to the first exemplary embodiment.

At a first point in time, the rotating part of the CT device is located in the position shown with the crossing line. After a rotation of the gantry by the angle α=90° in the clockwise direction, the position shown with the dashed line is reached at a point in time approximately ¼ sec. later. The elements 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, . . . now lie in the intermediate positions between the angular positions that the elements 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, . . . of the second detector previously occupied. The detector elements of the first array thus come to lie displaced by half an element separation Δβ, thus quasi-“over the previous intervals”. This enables a particularly fine scanning of the patient 5 as would otherwise only be possible with a still-finer detector pitch that would be hard to produce.

The dashed position of the first detector 13 naturally also would have been achievable without the installation rule of the equation 1, in that an additional projection data set would have acquired (“additional shot”) at the dashed position, however then the associated focus F1 would not have been located in the indicated position. This is consistent with the invention being primarily concerned with obtaining a finer scanning (“fine virtual detector pitch”), and not primarily with a refinement or multiplication of the different projection directions.

The elements 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, . . . are (only for clarity) shown in FIG. 4 lying radially farther outwardly. Preferably they follow the same rotation path as the elements 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, . . . of the second detector 17.

In the equation 1 cited above, N=0 means that two elements are set in the same position (for example, the respective first or central element) in relation to one another. In the third exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, the case N=0 is shown for two equally large detectors 13, 17 with respectively 14 elements per detector row or detector line. The eighth element (counted in the clockwise direction) is respectively considered, whereby here the element center point is noted here as a position of each element. In FIG. 6, the case N=4 is shown for the same device as in FIG. 5, meaning elements that are arranged at different positions in their detector are set in relation to one another.

It is important that the angular positions angular positions γ₁, angular positions γ₂ are measured with regard to the respective focus F1 or, respectively, F2, thus with regard to the respective acquisition system and not with regard to the common rotation center D.

The azimuthal angular separation of two arbitrary detector elements 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, . . . , 17 a, 17 b, 17 c, . . . of the detectors 13 and 17 can be specified with a common reference point, by taking into consideration that, for the angle δ indicated in FIG. 6, δ=α+(γ₁−γ₂), and thus with equation 1 the following results: $\begin{matrix} {\delta = {\alpha + {\left( {{2N} + 1} \right) \cdot \frac{\Delta\beta}{2}}}} & \left\lbrack {{Eq}.\quad 2} \right\rbrack \end{matrix}$

For practical reasons, however, the associated reference point is unreasonable. Under the circumstances, a dimensioning with regard to the rotation point D is useful. For the associated angular separation δ′, δ′≈α+2 (γ₁−γ₂) under the assumption of small angles γ₁, γ₂, and under the assumption that focus and detector element respectively have approximately the same separation from rotation point D. With Eq. 1, the following results as an installation rule: δ=α+(2N+1)·Δβ  [Eq. 3]

This angular separation δ′ is thus substantially a whole number, odd multiple 2N+1 of the entire element separation Δβ.

In the exemplary embodiment of the tomography device 1 according to FIGS. 1 through 6, both acquisition systems (meaning in particular the respective connecting lines between radiator and detector, thus for example also the respective middle rays 23 and 27) are arranged in a common plane that is the drawing plane of FIGS. 2 through 6. In such an implementation, the control device is particularly suited to represent movement cycles with high temporal resolution.

Although only tomography devices with two acquisition systems are shown in the exemplary embodiments, the basis of the invention is also applicable to tomography devices with three or more acquisition systems.

Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the art. 

1. An imaging tomography apparatus comprising: a first data acquisition comprising a first radiator, having a first focus from which radiation from which first radiator emanates, and a first detector for detecting said radiation emanating from said first radiator, said first detector comprising a plurality of aligned detector elements; a second data acquisition system comprising a second radiator, having a second focus from which radiation from said second radiator emanates, and a second detector for detecting said radiation emanating from said second radiator, said second detector comprising a plurality of aligned detector elements; and a gantry to which said first and second data acquisition systems are mounted for rotation around a common rotation axis, proceeding through a rotation center, with a constant angular separation between said first and second data acquisition systems in an azimuthal direction relative to said common rotation axis, and with said first and second detectors mounted at said gantry for causing, when said first and second data acquisitions systems are rotated to cause a line proceeding from said first focus to said rotation center to occupy a previous position of a line proceeding between said second focus and said rotation center, at least some of the detector elements of the first detector to be displaced by a displacement angle relative to respective locations of at least some of the detector elements of the second detector at said previous position.
 2. An imaging tomography apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector elements of said first detector have an element separation between successive detector elements that is equal to an element separation between the respective detector elements of the second detector.
 3. An imaging tomography apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said displacement angle is equal to a fraction 1/n of said element separation, wherein n is the number of data acquisition systems.
 4. An imaging tomography apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said displacement angle is equal to one-half of said element separation.
 5. An imaging tomography apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein each detector element of said first detector exhibits a first angular position, measured from said line proceeding between said first focus and said rotation center and a line proceeding between said first focus and that detector element of the first detector, and wherein each detector element of said second detector exhibits a second angular position, measured between said line proceeding between said second focus and said rotation center and a line proceeding between said second focus and that detector element of the second detector, and wherein a difference between said first angular position and said second angular position is a whole-number, odd multiple of one-half of said element separation.
 6. An imaging tomography apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first data acquisition system and said second data acquisition system are mounted in a common plane.
 7. An imaging tomography apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first and second data acquisitions systems generates projection data, and comprising a computer supplied with said projection data for reconstructing an image using the projection data from both of said first and second image data acquisitions systems, and said displacement angle.
 8. An imaging tomography apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said computer reconstructs said image with a finer resolution compared to reconstruction of an image without using said displacement angle.
 9. An imaging tomography apparatus as claimed in claim 8 comprising an operating unit allowing selection by a user between a first operating mode wherein said image is reconstructed with a resolution without using said displacement angle, and a second mode wherein said image is reconstructed with said finer resolution, using said displacement angle. 